Combined carrying case and stand



19, 1.952 M. c. JOHNSON 2,607,649

COMBINED CARRYING CASE AND STAND Filed Jan. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. Name C J0/z/z50 M W, fipw/ a??? Patented Aug. 19, 1952 COMBINED CARRYING CASE AND STAND I Marie C. Johnson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Bell &.Howell Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 22, 1949,'SerialNo. 72,208

K v v 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to a combined carrying case and stand for instruments such projectors, typewriters, sewing machines and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide a I carrying case and stand which,'in its closed position, "provides for carrying or storing an instrument of'the character indicated, and which is adapted, in open position, to provide a stand for supporting the instrument at an appropriate height for its convenient use.

In'ith'e preferred embodiment of my invention, hereinafter disclosed, I have shown my invention embodied in a carrying case and stand for a m'otion'picture projector, but it will be understoodthat my invention may be readily adapted for use with'othe'r kinds of machines of the charaster above indicated.

A preferred feature of my invention resides in providing casing means having hingedly connected cover and body members adapted to be clamped together in closed position to enclose a portable instrument for storing r transporting the instrument, and in which the cover member is movable to open position to define a stand-f greater height than the height ofthe closed casing means for the support of the instrument "stored therein, in position for convenient us of the instrument. I

A further preferred feature resides in'proyiding a hinged shelf inwardly of the casing means adapted in the closed positionthereof to be disposed parallel with and in juxtaposition of one of the walls of the casing so as not t obstruct the storage space for the instrument to be enclosed therein, and which shelf in the open po- 'sition of the casing means, extends horizontally "and which false bottom membentogether with the bottom of the body of the case provides a chamber for the storage of accessories, servicing the casing'means maybe designed.

A- further preferred feature resides in providing the supporting member of the casing means tools and the like for the instrument, for which servin in the open position thereof tosupport an instrument and the false bottom member,

'ure 1, forming a substantially rectangular case.

each with a recess for receiving the base of. the instrument to support the latter against slidin movement.

A further preferred feature resides in providing a casing means in which the aforementioned hinged shelf carries clamp means for engaging theinstrument enclosed in the closed position of the casing means to aid in holding the instrument against movement in the casing means when being transported.

A still further preferred feature. resides in providing extensible supporting members for the base of'the body member to support the casing means against tipping as when disposed in its open position andserving as a stand.

The above and other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description,

Now in order to fully disclose my invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment .of my invention,iembodied in a'casingmeans fora motion picture projector.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a'perspec'tive view of a casing'means fora motion picture projector constructed in ac cordance with my invention, with the casing means being shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken sub- 7 :stantially centrally :of the casing "means of Figure '1; y

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view ofthe casing meansiof Figures 1 and 2, but'showing the parts in open orstand forming position; and Figure 4 is a bottom view-'of the.baseofzthe body-member-iof the casingmeans showing-1cm tensible supporting members provided for sup- "that the combined case and stand of my invention comprises a hollow body member 5 and a hollow "cover-member 6 with the body and cover members in the closed position as shown in Fig- Thecover member 6 comprises a top wall 8, a pair of side walls Sand end walls ill and l I. The hollow body member 5 also comprises side walls 12; a bottom wall l3 and-end walls and i5.

'The'side walls 6 and [2 of the cover and body members 1 are of substantially triangular configurationin side elevation and include edge por- 3. l9 and i4 respectively, forming lines of separation indicated at I6, at each of the sides of the case in its closed position.

The cover member 6 is hinged by means of a hinge I! extending transversely between the side walls of the case defined by the side walls 9 and I2 of the cover and body members with the hinge l1 providing an axis of rotation for the cover member 6 extending transversely between the side walls and at the adjacent edges of the end walls H and [2 of the cover and body members. The cover member 6 may thus be rotated about the axis of the hinge l1 and with respect to the body member to dispose the cover member 6 in the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings in which the end wall I is disposed in substantially horizontal position and at a height greater than the height of the top wall 8 of the cover of the casing when in its closed position as illus-'- trated in Figure 1. i As shown in Figure 3, releasable brackets, one of which is indicated gen,- er'allyat 20, are provided between the cover member 6 and the body member 5, one each inwardly of and closely adjacent the inner surfaces of side walls 9 and I2. The bracket 20, shown in the drawing, comprises a link 22 pivoted at one end as at 23 to a bracket 24 secured to the top wall 8 adjacent a side wall 9 of the cover member 6, and a link 25 pivoted at its free end as at 26 to the free end of the link 22, is pivoted at its other end as at 21 to a bracket 28 secured to the side wall I2. of the body member adjacent the upper end thereof and close to the end wall l5. The links 22 and 25 in the position of the cover and body members shown in Figure 3, are disposed in locked relation preventing movement of the cover 6 to its closed position, and serve as a brace for supporting the cover member in its stand forming position. Upon collapsing the links at their point of pivotal connection, as at 26, by manually urging the'pivotal' connection to the left'as viewed in Figure 3, the cover may be disposed to its closed position shown in Figure 1.

It will be observed from the above description :that; when the cover and body members are disposed in the position shown in Figure l, the casiing means is adapted to enclose a projector or other machine for the convenient storing or carrying of the. projector enclosed within the cover and body members. For this purpose, a handle indicated at 29. is preferably suitably secured to ithetop wall 8 ofthe cover member 6 and releasable clamps of known construction, indicated gen- ..erally at 30,'are provided between the end walls l0 and:l4 of the c'overand body members for se- .-curelyclainping the cover member 6 to the body member 5. "With the clamps 30 secured, the case iSJadapted'to 'be' manually transported by means of the. handle 29. Upon positioning of the cover member 6 to its stand forming position shown in :Figure' 3, the'releasable bracket means 20 provides for the rigid support of the cover member in the position shown, and with the parts in this position the end wall In provides for the convenient support of the projector adapted to be contained within the casing at a convenient height for the projection of pictures. It will be observed, with the cover member 6 disposed in the position of 4 when the casing means is arranged in its stand forming position, the base of the projector will be supported within the recess against sliding movement.

It will also be observed that a shelf member 33 is provided and it is hinged by means of a hinge 34 at the corner edge formed by the top wall 6 and the end wall I l of the cover member 6. The hinge 34 defines an axis extending substantially transversely between the side walls of the cover member of the casing means and in the closed position of the casing means as indicated in Figure 2, is disposed closely adjacent the inner surface of the top wall 8 in a position at which it does not obstruct the storage space for a pro-' When the cover 6 is disposed- J'ector or the like. to its stand forming position, the shelf 33 projects horizontally in its same relative position with respect of the body member 5 and provides a convenient shelf for the support of spools of film or other accessories and servicing tools necessary or desired in the operation of a projector or other type of portable machine with which it is desired to use the case.

It will further be observed that the body member 5 is provided with a false bottom member 35 hinged by a hinge 36 adjacent the end wall I5 of the body member and disposed in a position spaced above the bottom wall [3 of the body member. A supporting bar 31 is secured to the end wall member I 4 of the cover member 5 to provide for the rigid support of the false bottom member '35 in the position shown in Figure 3. The false bottom member 35 is also preferably recessed as indicated at 38 conformably to the configuration of the base of the projector or other instrument to be disposed in the casing means for holding the casing means against sliding movement when stored within the casing means. The chamber 40 formed by the false bottom member 35, the bottom wall [3 and the adjacent portions of the end and side walls of the body member 5 rovide for the convenient storage of films,

accessories, tools, or other instruments desired to be used in the operation of the machine for which the casing means is designed.

It will also be seen that a clamp 42 is suitably secured to the shelf member 33 in position for releasably engaging a portion of a motion picture projector or other instrument to be stored in the casing means for purposes of preventing movement of the instrument in the body member with the casing means in closed position.

The casing means further comprises a pair of stationary foot supports 45 secured to the bottom wall l3 adjacent the end wall l4 of the body member 5. A pair of extensible supports 46 are telescopically mounted in a guide member 48 secured to the bottom wall l3 and the extensible supporting members 46 are formed with end foot portions 41 conforming in shape and size to. the stationary foot members 45. The extensible members 46 are adapted in their extended positions, to support the casing means against tilting movement when arranged to form a stand. Preferably known forms of detents indicated at 49, are provided for retaining the extensible supporting members 46 in their extended or retracted positions. When the casing means is disposed in its closed position, as indicated in Figure 1, the extensible members 46 are preferably moved inwardly in the guide member s 48 therefor, so as to be disposed out of the way ,when the casing is used for storing or transporting purposes.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A combined case and stand for a projector or the like comprising, a hollow body member for receiving the projector, and a cover member for closing said body member, said cover and body members defining top and bottom walls and parallel pairs of planar side and end walls ex-v tending between said top and bottom walls in the closed position of said cover member on said body member, said cover constituting a segregated upper portion of said body member and having coplanar walls with said body member when closed therewith; hinge means for hinging said cover member on said body member .about an axis extending transversely of said side walls and adjacent the upper end of one of said end walls, whereby said cover member is adapted to be swung to open position about the axis of said hinge means to dispose the other end wall defining portion of said cover member in a substantially horizontal position, releasable bracket means for maintaining said cover member in its said open position thereby to define the upper extensible limit of said case when open, a shelf member hinged inwardly of said cover member about an axis extending transversely of said side walls and adjacent said one end wall, said shelf member in the closed position of said cover member on said body member being disposed adjacent the inside of said top wall and in the open position of said cover member extending substantially horizontally below and within the peripheral limits of the other end wall defining portion of said cover member.

2. A combined case and stand for a projector or the like comprising, a hollow body member for receiving the projector, and a cover member for closing said body member, said cover member and said body member defining planar top and bottom walls and a pair of planar side and end walls extending between said .top and bottom walls to define four right angularly intersecting planes comprising said side and end walls in the closed position of said cover member on said body member, hinge means forhinging said cover member on said body member on an axis extending transversely of said side walls and adjacent the upper end of one of said end walls, whereby said cover is adapted to be swung to open position about the axis of said hinge means to dispose the other end wall portion of said cover member in a substantially horizontal position, thereby to define a supporting table surface; releasable bracket means for maintaining said cover member in its said open position, and a pair of telescopically extensible supporting feet mounted beneath said bottom wall and adapted to extend laterally outward of the peripheral limits of said bottom wall thereby to prevent tilting of said body and cover members as when said cover member is disposed in its open position.

3. A combined carrying case and stand comprising a hollow enclosed box having horizontal,

rectangular top and bottomwalls interconnected in parallel relation by pairs of vertical rectangular side and end walls, each of said walls defining unitary planes and said side walls being separated along a substantially downwardly sloping line of severence to form intermating and coplanar upper and lower sections thereof, said line of severence also cutting through said two end walls along parallel horizontal traces to likewise form upper and lower sections thereof whereby a removable cover for said case is provided comprising said upper wall sections and said top wall; hinge means disposed on said cover interjoining one of said end wall upper sections with its associated lower section whereby said cover is adapted for vertical arcuate opening movement about a horizontally disposed axis defined by said hinge so that the other end wall upper section associated with said cover may be positioned horizontally from its normally vertical position to provide a planar table surface, which table surface defines the upper extremity of said case when in its open condition; and

releasable bracket means between one of said cover side wall upper sections and its associated lower section for holding said cover in its open position. 1

4. A combined case and stand comprising a hollow body member and a cover member for closing said body member to form a substantially rectangular closed case having top and bottom walls and with said cover and body members defining pairs of side and end walls extending between said top and bottom walls, a portion of said side and end walls being integral with said cover and a cofitting portion of said side and end walls being integral with said body whereby said interfitting wall portions are coplanar when said cover is in closed position on said body, hinge means for hinging said cover member on said body member on an axis extending transversely between said side walls and adjacent the upper end of one of said end walls whereby said cover member is adapted to be swung to open position about the axis of said hinge means to dispose said cover member in a position at which the portion thereof defining the other of said end walls is disposed substantially horizontally, releasable bracket means for maintaining said cover member in its aforesaid open position, and the portion of said cover member defining said other end wall being recessed for re- .ceiving the base of a projector or the like to prevent shifting movement of the latter when disposed on said cover member in the open position of the latter.

MARIE C. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 301,623 Milnor July 8, 1884 527,336 Kauffman Oct. 9, 1894 562,652 Pavek June 23, 1896 1,293,416 Hackerson Feb. 4, 1919 1,655,884 Wood Jan. 10, 1928 2,301,414 Kochl Nov. 10, 1942 

